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REMARKS ON SOME RARE GERMAN PRINTS 
OF NEW YORK AND QUEBEC, AND ON CON- 
TRIBUTIONS IN THE YEAR 1781 BY THE 
CHURCHES OF MASSACHUSETTS TO THE 
DISTRESSED INHABITANTS OF SOUTH 
CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. 



At a meeting of the Massachusetts Historical 
Society, held in Boston, on Thursday, October 11, 1894, 
Dr. Samuel A. Green spoke as follows : — 

At a meeting of the Society held last February, I gave, 
in the name of our first Vice-President, Mr. Charles Francis 
Adams, a set of rare German prints, four in number, which 
represent scenes in the town of Boston during the Revolu- 
tionary period. Through his continued kindness, I now pre- 
sent for him seven more prints, belonging to the same series, 
of which five were made by the same engraver, Francois 
Xavier Habermann, and the other two by Balth. Frederic 
Leizelt, all published in Augsburg. Two of them represent 
scenes in New York, and the remaining five portray scenes in 
Quebec. Like the former prints, these Views are not dated, 
but they belong to the same period, and presumably are as 
fanciful in their origin ; and, like that set, they are colored. 

The legends under the engravings are in both German and 
French, and in the following list I give a free and somewhat 
abridged translation of such titles. Though the prints are 
unnumbered, I here speak of them by numbers. 



No. 1. " Representation of the Great Fire in New York, 
during the night of September 19, 1776." 

No. 2. " View of New York," by Balth. Frederic Leizelt. 

No. 3, "View of Quebec (upper town)." 

No. 4. " View of Recolets Street, Quebec (upper town)." 

No. 5. " View of the Capital Square, Quebec (lower 
town)." 

No. 6. "View of Quebec (lower town), toward the St. 
Lawrence River." 

No. 7. " View of Quebec," by Balth. Frederic Leizelt. 

Dr. Gkeen also referred to some remarks by Judge Cham- 
berlain, made at the June meeting, which appear in the new 
Serial now lying on the table. They describe the contribution 
of money by the church at Chelsea for the benefit of the dis- 
tressed inhabitants of South Carolina and Georgia, who were 
driven away from their homes by the British troops during the 
Southern campaign of the Revolution. The learned Judge 
said that, while he had made no particular study of the subject, 
his sole knowledge of the fact was derived from a receipt of 
the money by one of the Boston agents, on December 14, 1781, 
which he read ; and he expressed the hope that additional 
information might be gathered in regard to the interesting 
fact. He stated, furthermore, that no Massachusetts histo- 
rian, so far as he knew, had mentioned the particulars of the 
contribution, which was probably a general one, and not con- 
fined to any town or neighborhood. Judge Chamberlain's 
'\ ^1 surmise as to the extent of the beneficent work was correct, 

as it spread over the whole Commonwealth. 

The raising of the money by the various churches at that 
period for the relief of the Southern people was prompted by 
a Brief from the Governor ; and he in his turn was instructed 
b}' the General Court to send such a letter to the several towns 
and districts within the Commonwealth. 

The following Resolutions are found among the Massachu- 
setts Archives (CCXXXIV. 366) at the State House : — 



\{ 



In Senate Oct, 18 1781. 

Whereas the United States in Congress assembled have recom- 
mended opening a Subscription for a Loan, for the Support of Such of 
the citizens of the States of South-Carolina and Georgia as have been 
driven from their Country and Possessions, by the Enemy — And also 
voluntary and free Donations, to be applied to the further relief of the 
Said Sufferers, Therefore 

Resolved, That Samuel Adams, Isaac Smith and Thomas Russel, 
Esquires, be, and hereby are appointed, to open a Subscription for a 
Loan, to Such of the distressed Inhabitants of South- Carolina and 
Georgia, as have been driven from their Country and Possessions, by 
the Enemy, upon the Plan recommended by Congress : and that the 
monies that may be loaned be remitted by the abovenamed Gentlemen 
to the Committee appointed by Congress, for receiving Such Loans. 

Resolved, That the Governor be, and is hereby requ ^ted to Issue a 
Brief, through the Several Towns and Districts, within t lis Common- 
wealth, recommending an attention to the distresses of Such of the Inhab- 
itants of South-Carolina and Georgia as have been driven from their 
Country and Possessions, by the Enemy, and their charitable Contribu- 
tions for their relief; and that Such monies as may be collected, be paid 
into the hands of Samuel Adams, Isaac Smith and Thomas Russel 
Esquires, to be by them remitted to the Committee appointed by Con- 
gress to receive Such Donations 

Sent down for Concurrence 
N° 1 S Adams Presid' 

In the House of Representatives Oct' 29, 1781 

Read & concurred Nath Gorham Speak'" 

Approv'd John Hancock 

[Indorsed] Resolue appointing a Committee to open a Loan for the 
distressed Citizens of Charlestown South Carolina and requesting the 
Governor to Issue a Brief thro' the Several Towns in this Common- 
wealth October 18 1781 page 95 & 6 [These figures refer to the pages 
of another volume, where this paper had previously been placed ; and 
the " N° 1," as given above, may imply other papers in the same file, 
but not necessarily bearing on the same subject.] 



There is in the possession of this Society John Hancock's 
Letter-book for the period from November 7, 1780, to March 



6 

13, 1782, which was given to the Library on November 13, 1817, 
by Mrs. Dorothy Scott, whose first husband was Governor 
Hancock. Fortunately for our purpose a copy of the letter 
sent out to the Boston ministers enclosing the Brief is found 
in the book, and runs as follows : — 

Boston 15"> Nov^ 1781 
Rev? Sir, I have the Honor to inclose you a Brief, which I 
request you will be pleased to read to the Society under your Pastoral 
Charge, in the Forenoon of the next Lords Day ; & I am confident 
your Recommendation will induce a liberal Contribution in the Afternooa 
of the same Day, & answer the Benevolent purposes of the Brief. 
I am, With Respect, Sir, Your very hble Servf 



To 




J H 


The Rev'? Do jt^ Chauncey 


M' Elliott 


]\P Croswell 


Doct Mather 


M^ Stillman 


M' Howard 


Doct Cooper 


]\P Parker 


Elders of the Presbyterian 


M'' Lothrop 


M^ Skillman 


Church 


M-- Wight 


M"" Lewis 





Rev? Gent^ who officiates at the New South — M' Acklie 

The following item from " The Continental Journal, and 
Weekly Advertiser" (Boston), November 22, 1781, seems to 
fix the date when the Brief was read in the several churches 
of Boston, and presumably in those throughout the Common- 
wealth so far as they could be reached : — 

Last Lord's Day [November 18] a Brief was read in the several 
Churches in this Town, and a generous Collection made for our unfor- 
tunate Brethren of South-Carolina and Georgia. 

On the last page (183) of the record-book (not numbered 
as a volume, but begun on June 1, 1761) of the First Parish 
at Groton, Massachusetts, is found a list of the contributions 
made on special occasions by that Church between July 19, 
1761, and February 19, 1795 ; and among these entries is the 
following : — 



1781. The Congregation contributed twenty five Dollars in hard 

Decern^ 13. money & four Dollars new Emission which are equal to 
one in hard, to the poor & distressed people in S. Carolina & Georgia, 
in Compliance with a Brief issued by His Eccellency the Governor for 
that Purpose. 

Dr. Green announced the death of S. A. R. le Comte de 
Paris, an Honorary Member, which took place at his residence, 
Stowe House, in Buckinghamshire, England, on September 8. 
He was the elder son of the Due d'Orleans and grandson of 
Louis Philippe, and was born at the Tuileries in Paris, on 
August 24, 1838. When the War of the Rebellion broke out 
in this country, he and his brother, the Due de Chartres, de- 
sirous to see active military service, came here and joined the 
Army of the Potomac on the staff of General McC'iellan, where 
they both worthily upheld the honor of their family After 
nearly a year of camp life, they returned to England, ' t 

Comte devoted himself to literary and social pursuit lis 

"History of the Civil War in America" (Philadelphia e ion, 
four volumes) already ranks as an authoritative work of its 
kind. He was chosen a member of this Society on Decem- 
ber 9, 1875, soon after the appearance of the first volume of 
his History. 

Dr. Green also communicated, in behalf of Mr. Barrett 
Wendell, who is now in Europe, a memoir of the late Edwin 
L. Bynner, for publication in the Proceedings. 



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